Historical Reference
Cinnamon has a long and fascinating history. The Ancient Egyptians used Cinnamon
in their embalming mixtures. By the Roman Empire, it was already a highly
valuable commodity used for both medicinal and culinary purposes.
While Cinnamon is actually native to the West Indies, by the 18th century
it was the Dutch who had monopolized the Cinnamon trade and refused to allow
any commercial farming of the tree until 1776, thus maintaining the rarity,
high cost and of course, high profits.
Some sources even claim Cinnamon's rarity and near-sacred status as one of
the factors that eventually spurred world exploration. Whether or not this
is the case, it's impact on world trade - and peoples - is still evident today,
as we find Cinnamon as a popular ingredient in everything from toothpaste
to pastries to potpourris.

Medicinal Use
Caution: While Cinnamon is a common and essentially harmless spice, be alert
for any side effects. Cinnamon can cause unwanted effects in certain sensitive
individuals. Do not use Cinnamon while breastfeeding.
Cinnamon's history as a medicinal plant goes as far back as the Ancient Egyptians
as well. As it increased in availability across Europe, we find its medicinal
uses included in most early herbals.
Grieve lists it in "A Modern Herbal" as a "Carminative, astringent,
stimulant, antiseptic; more powerful as a local than as a general stimulant."
The curative properties of Cinnamon are just as numerous today. We can consider
Cinnamon beneficial for any of the following:
* Appetite Loss
* Bronchitis
* Colds
* Fever
* Cough
* Indigestion
* To improve digestion
* Sore Throat
* Tendency to infection
* Diarrhea
* Some cancerous tumors
Eastern herbal remedies suggest Cinnamon for heart problems, dental pain and
urinary problems as well.
The real medicinal value lies in the oil, which is actually quite a powerful
insecticide. Scientific studies in Japan have shown Cinnamon has been shown
to kill certain fungi, bacteria, and other micro-organisms such as clostridium
botulinum which causes botulism, and staphylococcus aureus which causes staph
infections.
My favorite way to take Cinnamon is as a medicinal tea, using about 1/8 of
a teaspoon of Cinnamon per cup of hot water, no more than 3 times per day.
Drinking this tea with meals can aid digestion. If you are using a prepared
Cinnamon preparation, follow the manufacturers instructions.

Growing Cinnamon
For most of us, this should simply read "Good luck, try something else"
as Cinnamon is difficult to grow in less than ideal conditions.
For you brave souls in Southern climates, gardeners can find some varieties
available for primarily ornamental purposes. Cinnamon prefers sandy soil,
very well drained and maintained with proper nutrients. If you can get them
started and keep them healthy, they are fast growing trees.

Magical Use
Cinnamon is actually a strong and sacred spice. It was used as an incense
in Chinese temples, according to Paul Beyerl in a compendium of Herbal Magick,
and is highly recommended as a purification incense prior to sacred work even
today.
Beyerl tells us that Cinnamon increases focus and concentration, while enabling
a peaceful mindset for ritual work or divination. For those who work with
gemstones and crystals, he recommends using it with tourmaline and suggests
"A container of cinnamon which is set aside for temple use would be empowered
if a small piece of tourmaline is included."
We find Cinnamon as a common ingredient in, as much as I hate to say it, the
dreaded "Love Spells". Aside from the purely manipulative forms
(which I strongly recommend avoiding,) Cinnamon can be used to learn the lessons
of trust in relationships.

Cinnamon: It's
Not Just For Making Cinnamon Rolls
By Sarah Pittman
Most people around the world are familiar with the sweet and pungent taste
of cinnamon. Cinnamon is the common name for the trees and shrubs that belong
to the genus Cinnamomum of the Laurel family (Lauraceae). Cinnamon spice comes
primarily from the Sri Lankan cinnamon known as Cinnamomum zeylanicum. It
is obtained from the plant by drying the central part of the bark, which is
then sold in stick or powdered form. The cinnamon oil is extracted from the
waste products of drying and the pointed black fruits that the tree bears
(1). This oil is used for medicinal purposes or flavoring (2). Cinnamomum
Zeylanicum is the source of cinnamon that we in the United States commonly
buy. Cinnamon contains cinnamic aldehyde, essential oils, Eugenol, metholeugenol,
muscilage, sucrose, starch, and tannin (3).

Distribution
Have you ever wondered where cinnamon comes from? It is unbelievable to think
that there is a place somewhere in the world where cinnamon is commonly seen
growing along the side of the road. Just imagine walking through campus with
cinnamon trees growing all around you. Cinnamon is native to India, Mayala,
Ceylon, China, Japan and Taiwan, where it is as common to them as an Oak tree
wood be to us. The spice grows in a number of tropical forests and is
extensively cultivated throughout the tropical regions of the world, including
Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Cinnamomum zeylanicum, True Cinnamon
is native to Sri Lanka, India, where it was one of the spices responsible
for world trade.

Description
The Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree grows up to thirty feet tall with ovate to
ovate-lanceolate leaves that can be four to seven inches long. The flowers
are inconspicuous, and the panicles of the yellowish flowers are usually longer
than the leaves. These panicles bear pointed black fruits from which cinnamon
oil is extracted. The cinnamon sticks are made from the bark of the tree and
are rolled naturally when the bark is sun-dried. The tree grows best in deep,
well-drained, moist soils.

Uses
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) has many common everyday uses and some not
so common uses. Everybody has probably used cinnamon for some reason, whether
for cooking purposes or medicinal purposes. Despite being widely used in food
and pharmacy it is also important in the cosmetic and perfumery industries. In some areas cinnamon has been known to be used for religious purposes.
It is no wonder cinnamon is an important economic plant with all these possible
uses for its products.

Cooking Use
Cinnamon is very important in cooking, and it's easy to keep fresh. It is
one of the most important spices in the world. Consumption in the U.S. alone
is up 6.5 pounds compared to a decade ago. This is mostly due to the increasing
interest in ethnic foods, and the increased interest in replacing flavor usually
obtained from fats with the flavor of spices and herbs.
Most people in this world are probably most familiar with cinnamon when it
is used for baking in dessert foods. Many cookies that Americans are familiar
with have cinnamon as a main ingredient in them or sprinkled on top of them.
Cinnamon rolls are a great example of a dessert pastry that has cinnamon as
the main ingredient. Could you imagine what cinnamon rolls would taste like
if cinnamon didn't exist? Could you imagine a world without cinnamon rolls
or any of the other dessert foods that require cinnamon? The world would be
a less sweeter place without cinnamon and the desserts made with it.
As international cooking is becoming more popular, people are starting to
find new uses for cinnamon. For instance, cinnamon is an excellent spice used
with meat and poultry in Indian and Moroccan dishes. Cinnamon is also commonly
found with various Greek dishes. A dash of cinnamon in spaghetti sauce, beef
stew, and chili, or with grains and lentils is very appetizing to some people. Cinnamon is also used often to flavor rice dishes and fish, chicken,
or ham. A cinnamon stick can be added to hot chocolate to give it an added
cinnamon flavor. There are a number of uses for cinnamon in the kitchen, and
cooking with it makes food a whole lot tastier.

Medicinal use
Cinnamon is one of the oldest herbal medicines known, having been mentioned
in Chinese texts as long as 4,000 years ago. The first medicinal use of
cinnamon was in Egypt and parts of Europe as far back as 500 BC. Cinnamon
is often used for medicinal purposes due to it's unique properties. These
main properties of cinnamon are astringent, warming stimulant, carminative,
antiseptic, antifungal, anti-viral, blood purifier, and digestive aid.
All of these properties of cinnamon make it a good medicinal plant. Cinnamon
has many historical medicinal uses in different cultures. Some of these uses
include treatment of diarrhea, arthritis, menstrual cramps, heavy menstruation,
and yeast infections. Traditionally in many cultures cinnamon was taken as
medicine for colds, flu, and digestive problems. Today cinnamon is used
for many of these same traditional reasons. Often cinnamon is used as a nonessential
addition to other remedies, than as a remedy by itself. Often this is because
cinnamon is a stimulant to other herbs and the body, enabling herbal remedies
to work faster.
The medicinal effects of cinnamon oil are very powerful, and there are many
uses for it. Cinnamon oil is one of the most powerful stimulants there is.
It is often used as a stimulant in paralysis of the tongue, or to deaden the
nerve in a toothache. However, principally it is used as an aromatic to cover
the disagreeable taste of other drugs.
The various terpenoids found in the spices essential oil are thought to be
the reason for cinnamon's medicinal properties. Eugenol and cinnamaldehyde
are two very important terpenoids found in cinnamon. Cinnamaldehyde and cinnamon
oil vapors act as potent antifungal agents. The diterpenes found in the cinnamon
oil have shown antiallergenic activity.
The numerous uses for cinnamon as a medicinal herb implies the widespread
appreciation herbalists around the world had for its healing effects. Unfortunately
there is often no scientific research to backup health claims that cinnamon
does in fact have healing powers.
Along with the medicinal effects come the side effects and interactions that
medicinal cinnamon causes. Some people may be sensitive or allergic to cinnamon.
Also, some people may develop dermatitis after exposure to it. Therefore,
to take precautions to these possible side effects, only small amounts should
be given to a person who lacks prier exposure to it. Chronic chewing of cinnamon
gum or use of cinnamon flavored toothpaste can cause inflammation of the mouth,
and lead to pre-cancerous growth. The highly concentrated cinnamon oil is
more likely to cause side effects than the cinnamon powder. Cinnamon oil
should never be ingested.

Religious Use
Not only is cinnamon used in cooking, and medicinal healing but it is, also,
used for religious purposes. It is believed, by some, that burning cinnamon
in incense will promote high spirituality and aid in healing. Some people
also believe it can stimulate the passions of a male. The essential oil is
often seen spiritually as used for protection. There are so many uses
for cinnamon that it is hard to believe that most people only know it as an
ingredient in their favorite dessert. In a persons lifetime, they probably
encounter cinnamon a number of times, in a number of different forms, for
a number of different reasons, without being aware of it's presence.

Other Species
There are many other species that are closely related to Common or True Cinnamon.
One of these species of cinnamon is called Cinnamomum cassia, or Chinese Cinnamon,
which was widely used in China before the discovery of True Cinnamon. However,
this other species of cinnamon is now thought to be an inferior substitute
to Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Cinnamomum cassia is cheaper and more abundant
than Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Also, it is heavier, less liquid, and congeals
more quickly than True Cinnamon. In the United States Cinnamomum cassia is
the official oil of cinnamon used for medicinal purposes. Its value is determined
by the amount of cinnamic aldehyde it contains. Another type of cinnamon was
Saigon Cinnamon which is often known as Annam Cinnamon, China Cinnamon, and
God's Cinnamon. Cinnamomum inners is the species of Wild Cinnamon found in
Japan. This species is also found in Southern India, where the buds are more
mature then the form found in Japan. It is used medicinally for the treatment
of dysentery, diarrhea and coughs. The bark is commonly used as a condimen.

Conclusion
Cinnamon has been a favorite spice since biblical times, and since then has
evolved many uses. It has played key roles in nutrition, medicine, religion,
and the botanical economy. Cinnamon is a major product sold in the U.S. in
any given grocery store. It can be bought in its pure form as cinnamon sticks,
spice, or oil. It can, also, be bought as a herbal remedy, an ingredient in
baked goods, or as incense. When buying cinnamon use your nose because the
more pungent the aroma the better the quality